NEW DELHI: Votes cast in five assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat will be counted on Friday, with the results of the bypoll elections likely to be closely watched for broader political signals.The elections were held on October 6 in five assembly seats — Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu and Thattanchavady in Puducherry. The Lok Sabha seat of Nagaon in Assam also went to polls. Counting of votes will begin at 8am.The contests are not necessarily referendums on the governments in power, but they have acquired significance because they come at different points in the political transitions taking place in these states, particulary Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
BJP’s first poll after the mega Bengal victory
The spotlight will be firmly on West Bengal, where the BJP replaced the TMC after 15 years in power. The Nandigram and Rejinagar results would perhaps offer an early indication of how the BJP is performing after moving from the opposition to government.Turnout was high in both seats, with nearly 80 per cent of the 5.24 lakh electors voting. Nandigram recorded 80.89 per cent polling and Rejinagar 80.08 per cent.The polling, however, was not without controversy as there were allegations of voter intimidation, booth-level irregularities and sporadic clashes. The arrest of Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir after a confrontation with police in Rejinagar and Congress’ demand for repolling in both seats added to the political tension.Nandigram carries particular weight because of its history as the constituency was central to the anti-land acquisition movement that helped bring the TMC to power in 2011. Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee there in the 2021 Assembly election and won the seat again in 2026, while retaining Bhabanipur, leading to the bypoll.The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, whose son Chandranath Rath, a former aide of Adhikari, was shot dead two days after the BJP won the Assembly election. Her candidature therefore added an emotional element to the contest.The Opposition vote is also divided as the TMC faction led by Mamata Banerjee withdrew its candidate and backed Congress nominee Milan Pradhan. A rival TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee is contesting separately. The result could therefore indicate whether opposition coordination can translate into votes or whether the division benefits the BJP.Rejinagar presents a different contest where Humayun Kabir, who had won both Rejinagar and Nowda in the Assembly election, retained Nowda, leaving Rejinagar vacant. His AJUP has fielded his son Golam Nabi Azad. The contest includes candidates from the BJP, Mamata-led TMC, rival TMC faction, Congress and CPI(M).With a sizeable minority electorate, Rejinagar is particularly important for parties trying to consolidate or expand their respective support bases. For the Mamata-led TMC faction, it is also a test of whether it can retain support without relying on the familiar party name and symbol.
Tamil Nadu tests TVK’s early popularity
Tamil Nadu’s Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls will also be closely watched, particularly because they are the first electoral test for the TVK government after it came to power in May.The AIADMK is seeking to win back the two seats it lost to the TVK in the April Assembly election, making the results an early measure of whether the new ruling party has retained its electoral momentum.Madurantakam recorded 86.26 per cent turnout, while Dharapuram saw 80.30 per cent polling. Both figures were lower than in the Assembly election five months ago. Turnout fell by nearly seven percentage points in Madurantakam and about 9.5 percentage points in Dharapuram.Counting centres in both constituencies have been placed under three-tier security. The EVMs and VVPAT units were moved to sealed strongrooms after polling, with round-the-clock surveillance and central and state security personnel deployed at the sites.
Assam and Puducherry complete the day’s picture
In Assam, the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll is being seen as a three-way contest between BJP candidate and former bureaucrat Devasish Sharma, Congress nominee and former MLA Sibamoni Bora, and AIUDF chief Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal.The seat fell vacant after Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, who had won Nagaon for a second consecutive term in 2024, left the party, contested the Dispur Assembly seat on a BJP ticket and won it.Around 76 per cent of Nagaon’s 19.05 lakh electors voted. Fifteen candidates are in the fray, although the contest is expected to be primarily between the BJP, Congress and AIUDF candidates.
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In Puducherry, the Thattanchavady Assembly bypoll recorded 80.8 per cent turnout. The seat fell vacant after AINRC chief and Chief Minister N Rangasamy resigned from it while retaining Mangalam.By the end of Friday, the results across these six contests would provide more than individual winners and losers. In West Bengal, they will offer an early look at the BJP’s ability to consolidate power and at the opposition’s ability to regroup. Tamil Nadu will provide an initial test of the TVK’s popularity after its assembly victory, while Nagaon will show how the BJP, Congress and AIUDF fare in a three-way contest.
